Bill alters references to people with disabilities

Bill alters references to people with disabilities

Lawmakers have agreed to rewrite state laws to change the way Louisiana refers to people with disabilities.

The state Senate voted 36-0 Wednesday for House Bill 63 by New Orleans Rep. Walt Leger, a Democrat. It goes back to the Louisiana House for approval of changes before getting final passage.

The 272-page measure would swap out words like “handicapped” with “impaired” and make other changes across hundreds of statutes. References to “mental retardation” would be replaced with “an intellectual disability.”